Variable condenser



April 6, 1926. 1,579,209

H. P. CLAUSEN VARIABLE CONDENSER Filed Nov. 21 1923 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED, STATES.

PATENT OFFICE. Y

HEHRY'P; CLAUSEN,-OI IAIAB/ONECK, NEW YORK, ASS IGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COIPANY, INCORPORATED, O1 YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. x

a Y VARIABLE CONDENSER.

' Application filed Iovember. 21, 1928. Serial No. 678,029.

To all wkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnnnr P. CLAUSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mamaroneck,-in the county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Variable Condensers, of whic the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to variable .condensers, and its object is to provide a unitary variablecondenser which has a maximum variable capacity'ran e and which may be adjusted at will to vorm a variable condenser having la' smaller variable capacity range in parallel with a fixed condenser.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, one or more of the movable plates of a rotatable variable condenser is displaced relatively to the remainder of.

the movable plates so as to enable the rotation of the movable plates over as large a [scale for small variations in capacity as they are, normally rotated for large variations, thus insuring an exceedingly accurate ad'ustment for the condenser.

'ilhe drawings illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a condenser arran ed in accordance with the invention.

1g. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the rotary elements of the condenser. I

L plurality of plates 5 are fixed to a plurality of posts 6 on one side of a rotary shaft 8. The ends of posts 6 are fastened to a pair of bearing plates 10 and 11 comosed in part at least of insulating material. %pon one end of shaft 8 is a knob 12 to rotate the shaft and a disc 13 hearing a calibrated scale to record the amount of rotation of the shaft. A plurality of semicircular plates 15 are mounted loosely upon shaft 8 and are spaced by a plurality of washers 16 so as to lie in planes alternate to the planes occupied by the fixed plates 5. "At the end of shaft 8 opposite knob 12 is a ?ring washer 18 and a locking nut 19 whic lates 15 and the washers lfi'upon shaft'8 o facilitate the adjustment of nut 19, this nut is provided with a handle 20- enabling the easy loosening and tightening of the plates on the shaft 8 at any time.

When it is desired use the full variable may be adjusted to tighten the" capacity of the condenser, the plates 15 are arranged one directly above the .other on shaft '8 and the nut 19 tightened to hold them in this position so that the condenser .Wlll operate in. the usual manner. When, however, it is desired to make use of lessthan the full variable capacity of the condenser, one or more pairs of preferably adjacent plates 15 are arranged with the plates thereof angularly displaced in res ect to each other in such manner that t ey will not affect the capacity of the condenser as they are rotated about shaft 8. In this way,'the number of effective rotary plates is decreased, and the variable capacity of the condenser reduced, so that the fullrange of the scale on disc 13 may be used to give the greatest possible accuracy of adjustment for comparatively small variations in capacity.

When more than one pair of rotary plates are arranged as above described, the airs should be staggered as shown in the rawings so that no continuous gap will be formed at the inner edges of oppositely arranged plates.

lo the drawings only'shown an arit is obvious that when, for example, a

smaller reduction in the variable capacity of the condenser is desired, or when for other reasons it is preferable, a similar result may be obtained by dtisplacin one plate of one or more pairs at an angle less than 180. 1

The provision of lock nut 19 with the handle 20 enables the ready adjustment of the condenser to suit the conditions under which it o crates.

While t e description of the invention has been confined to a condenser in which the movable plates are adjusted, it is ob- 1. In a condenser, a plurality of stationary plates, a rotary shaft, a plurality of rotatable plates upon said shaft, a variable.

capacity condenser member including certam of said stationary plates, and certain of said rotatable plates, and a fined capacity condenser member including the remainder Y of said stationary lplates and the remainder of said rotatable p ates. i

2. In acondenser, a plurality of stationary plates, a plurality of movable plates, and means to rotate said movable plates in unison, certain of said movable plates being so arranged that the rotation "thereof will alter the capacity of the condenser andcertain of said movable plates being so arranged that the rotation thereof will not affect the capacity of the condenser.

3. A. variable rotar condenser comprising a plurality oiseml-circul'ar fixed plates, a rotary shaft, a plurality of semi-circular plates mounted loosely thereon, and a lock- 111g means havin a; handle thereon for locking said mova 1e plates in any desired position aboutsaid shaft.

In witnesswhereof, I hereunto subscribe W my narnethis Nth-day of No'vembenA. D.

1923. I HENRY P. CLAUSEN; 

